Hack Your USB STICKS

The 12 SMARTEST things you didn’t know you could do with them

Discover your FASTEST stick

Play videos on your TV

Sync all your photos

Make icons for each stick

Create unhackable vaults

Record live TV to a stick

What did you last use a USB stick for? We’re guessing it was probably to transfer files between PCS. While these mini storage drives are perfect for this kind of task, they’re capable of so much more.

Over the next few pages, we’ll dig deeper into the inner workings of your humble USB stick than ever before. You’ll discover ways to use them that you never considered, as well as learn secret tricks to better organise your sticks, diagnose problems and protect the files stored on them from prying eyes.

You’ll need to use some powerful tools to carry out these hacks – from hidden Command Prompt tools built into Windows to programs you can download for free. As with all advanced tools, we recommend you make a full backup of all your important files before trying them (files stored on your USB sticks, as well as your PC’S hard drive).

As always, we’ll cut through the jargon and walk you through every stage step by step, highlighting any specific areas where you need to be extra careful.

Best of all, most of the tips work even with small-capacity USB sticks, so you’ll be able to put even old flash drives to good use. In fact, once you’ve come to realise their full potential, we reckon you might be tempted to buy some faster, bigger sticks – and as we reveal on page 52, they’re now cheaper than ever.

We’d also love to hear how you use your USB sticks. Email your top tips to letters@computeractive and we’ll publish the best.